D.L. Hawkins
| D.L. Hawkins | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | Leonard Roberts |
| First appearance | Hiros |
| In-story stats | |
| Known ability | Phasing |
| Gender | |
| Age | 31 |
| Residence | D.L. Hawkins's home |
| Occupations | Fugitive, former construction worker |
| Significant other | Niki Sanders (estranged) |
| Parent | Paulette Hawkins |
| Child | Micah Sanders |
D.L. Hawkins is a former construction worker and the estranged husband of Niki Sanders and father of Micah Sanders. He was at one time involved with Mr. Linderman's criminal enterprises in Las Vegas.
About
D.L. is very devoted to his family. After initially deciding to participate in the plan to rob Linderman of the $2 million in order to better provide for Niki and Micah, he backs out of the plan out of fear that Linderman will seek retribution against them. Even after he discovers Jessica set him up, he remains very much in love with his wife, and ultimately succumbs to Micah's pleas to return and help Niki overcome her alter ego.
Unlike some of the others, D.L. seems to actually enjoy using his powers and has made no effort to conceal them from those close to him.
Character History
One Giant Leap
Niki claims D.L. robbed Mr. Linderman of 2 million dollars and then killed his own crew. He apparently was almost captured, but managed to escape, perhaps through the use of his powers. Micah later reveals that he might be in contact with D.L.
Hiros
When Niki returns home from Linderman's casino, she finds several police officers waiting for her. The officer tell her that D.L. has been spotted nearby and that he may be trying to reach her and Micah. After the officer leave, D.L. appears in the hallway.
Better Halves
D.L. returns home in order to help raise Micah and to prove his innocence. He claims that he backed out of a plan to steal $2 million from Mr. Linderman but was framed by an unknown woman who stepped in and stole the money herself. He's found a man who he believes knows the woman that stole the money, however when he and Niki show up they find a room with several dead men in it. D.L. later catches Niki with a briefcase containing the $2 million and realizes that she stole the money. They fight and just when it seems Niki may have the advantage, he uses his power to phase his hand into her chest and interfere with her heart causing her to fall unconscious. D.L. takes the money and leaves with Micah.
Nothing to Hide
While driving away from Las Vegas, D.L. tells Micah they can never return home. Micah accuses him of being a "bad guy", because only bad guys run. Later, D.L. uses his powers to rescue a woman from a burning car fire, and Micah tells him he's a hero after all. At a motel later that night, D.L., unaware of Micah's powers, finds him apparently playing around with a broken pay phone, and does not realize that Micah has told Jessica where to find them.
Homecoming
Still running away from Niki (who became Jessica), Micah tells D.L. that his mom has changed, and sometimes a woman named Jessica takes over her body. When they stop by a restaurant, D.L. goes out to buy some food, and tells Micah to stay inside. He suddenly notices a police officer entering the restaurant, and hides his face. When he comes back to the car, he discovers that Micah is gone. After a long search, he finds Micah, who tells him that now D.L. knows how Micah felt when his dad left. Outside of another hotel, Micah tells his father that he called his mom and told her where they are. Jessica, who hides on a top of a tree, holds a sniper rifle, aims on D.L. and shoots.
Six Months Ago
At Jessica’s grave Niki tells D.L. that Hal is back. They decide to have him over for dinner. At dinner, D.L. jokes that if Hal were trying to make up for the past by giving Micah a computer, he was skimping. D.L. then tells Niki that she is doing great (confronting her father). When Hal yells at Micah, D.L. intervenes and physically intimidates Hal.
Fallout
Jessica's first shot hits D.L. in the shoulder, but by the time she is able to fire a second shot, he has phased, and the bullet passes through him harmlessly. D.L. grabs Micah and the money and runs off into the woods. He shrugs off his jacket and leaves it on a branch, carefully backtracking through his footprints to throw off pursuers.
Micah tells him that it couldn't have been the police. They find a locked cabin, and D.L. phases inside to open the lock. As Micah continues to insist that it's Jessica, not Niki, who is responsible, D.L. blacks out from his wound.
Following Micah's cries for help, Jessica arrives at the cabin, pretending to be Niki, but D.L. is ready for her. He hits her with a shovel and she picks him up and hurls him aside. When Jessica hurts Micah, Niki is able to reassert control, and she apologizes to D.L. and Micah.
D.L. decides to take everyone to a hotel, but when he stops to assist a fallen Micah, Niki leaves the money and slips off. He watches helplessly as she turns herself in to the police for murder.
Powers
D.L. has the ability to phase some or all of his body through solid objects. He has used his ability to walk through walls, pass his arm through a window, open locked doors, and reach into Niki's chest. In Better Halves, he used his power to render Niki unconscious, opening the possibility for more offensive uses of this power.
Notes
- Before D.L.'s introduction, mentions of him made him sound like he was a full-time member of Mr. Linderman's organization. However, as of Better Halves it's less clear that this was the case. Based on his conversation with Niki about the robbery, it now seems just as likely that D.L. was primarily a construction worker who did at best a few jobs for Linderman on the side. This has led some fans to question whether D.L.'s "crew" refers, as originally assumed, to a criminal gang, or merely to a construction crew who were involved in only the one robbery. However, the "Snapshots" graphic novel indicates that D.L. considered his crew a bad influence, which seems to indicate the former context. The "Stolen Time" graphic novel further reveals that he used to be the gang's safe cracker.
- In the episode Six Months Ago, Niki describes D.L. as an “ex-con” at her AA meeting. This was before Jessica stole Mr. Linderman's money and D.L. was framed for it.
- According to "Snapshots", D.L was incarcerated at the Nevada State Penitentiary.